70 
1874* 
Gallinago wilsoni. 
Middlesex County, Mass . 
(Oc t. 3) 
Large numbers on the Fresh Pond m rshes, all I 
think flight birds v/hich have dropped in during the night 
We killed eighteen. They lay remarkably vz-ell, and 
flew long distances, v/e started twon on spring ground 
near Hill’s Crossing. One, an enormous bird v^ich I 
finally killed, alighted in a field of standing corn 
after being flushed from a meadov/. 
* 9. 
Started three on the Fresh Pond marshes. One 
v/hich I had a good chance to v/atch was staiiding erect in 
a v/atchful attitude on a mud bank After a v/hile 
every thing being quiit, he drev/ up one leg arid poising 
himself on the other, shortening his neck until his hvead 
rested betv/een his shoulders, saw for a long tiroe with 
half closed eyes dozing in the sunshine. Occasionally 
he would give a quick start, shake his feathers and turn¬ 
ing his head on one side apparently listen for the move¬ 
ment of some earth worm beneath the surface. When I 
began to arlk towards him ho straightened up for an in¬ 
stant then crouching with his bill raised to an angle 
of about 450 stood ready for a spring. At every step 
that I took forv/ard ho lowered his body a trifle more and 
finally, with a hoarse scai^e,,sprang lightly into tha 
air. 
“ 14. 
Started ten in the Fresh Pond marshes. 
" 20. 
Abundance of signs all over the marshes but I could 
find only one bird, a gunner v/hom I met had been over 
the ground yesterday v/ith similarly poor success. On th' 
15th, hov/over, he started thirteen Snipe there and six 
on each of the tv/o following days. 
“ 26. 
Heard two flying over the Fresh Pond marshes in the 
evening tv/ilight. 
Map.“28. 
1875. 
Mar, 22 
A Snipe captured by some boys in West Newton v/as 
brought to Jessie Warren last v/eek. It v/as found'with 
its bill literally froan fast in the mud. 
Apr. 2. 
Started three in the bushy swamp near the Fresh 
Pond crossing. They v/ere exceedingly v/ild rising out of 
range and flying out of sight. Not the most sheltered 
spring-hole is as yet fairly thav/od out, the meadows 
v/here they lay v/ere frozen as hard as rocks, and the hy- 
las have not yet begun to peep. 
" 10. 
Started two in the Fresh Pond swamps; probably the 
same birds seen there on the second . Heard the first 
hyla vo-day. 
